Fluid-operated rotary-movement-reversing mechanism.



I G. A. FOWLER.

FLUID OPERATED ROTARY MOVEMENT REVERSING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1909.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

e. A. FOWLER.

FLUID OPERATED ROTARY MOVEMENT REVERSING MECHANISM. APPLIQATION FILEDMAY 22, 1909.

976,998. Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

GEORGE A. FOWLER, 0F DENVER, COLORADO.

FLUID-OPERATED ROTARY-MOVEMENT-REVERSING MECHANISM.

arenas.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,776.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE A. FOWLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at the city and county of Denver and State ofColorado, have invented a new and useful Fluid-Operated Rotary-Movement-Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fluid operated rotary movementreversing mechanism; and the objects of my invention are: first, toprovide a valve controlled compressed air or other actuating fluidoperating cylinder and piston mechanism, that will operate oppositelyrotating and opposing clutch-members to engage and rotate and reversethe rotary motion of a driving shaft at any desired predetermined timeor automatically at predetermined intervals of time; second, to providevalve controlled fluid operating mechanism by which the rotary motion ofdriving shafts can be manually or automatically reversed in oppositedirections; and third, to provide a simple, powerful and practicalmechanism for reversing the rotary direction of driving shafts and ofreciprocal and oscillating machinery. I attain these objects by themechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a view partly in front eleva tion and partly in section, ofthe improved device. Fig. 2, is a plan view of a slightly differentarrangement of the device, the valve shifting lever being arranged to beoperated either manually or automatically. Fig. 3, is a transverse,vertical sectional view through one of the cylinders and the valvechest. Fig. 4, is a plan view of the cylinder, the cover for the valvechest and the slide valve being removed. Fig. 5, is a slightly enlargedsectional view of a portion of the partition between the cylinders,showing the sliding pin w rich is alternately operated by each piston,to move the opposite piston a suitable distance relatively to a fluidinlet port. And Fig. (3, is a sectional view through the hub portion ofone of the clutch-members, showing one of the collars which are engagedby rock arms for shifting said clutch-members.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1, designates a driving shaft,which is journaled at its opposite ends in boxes 2, that are supportedon standards 8. This driving shaft is adapted to be driven and totransmit power alternately in opposite directions, either through apartial revolution in opposite directions, or during a predeterminedperiod of time in either direction of its rotat-ive movement; and it isfurther adapted to be either manually or automatically controlled andreversed in its rotative move ment. This shaft 1, being a driving shaft,may be arranged to transmit its rotative movement from a pulley orsprocket wheel or through bevel or spur or worm gearing. I havepreferably illustrated it adapted to transmit its rotative movementthrough the medium of the worm form of gearing, and have illustrated thecentral portion of the shaft provided with a worm t, which may be madean integral part of the shaft, or may be made separate from it and bekeyed or otherwise secured to it. This worm 4 is preferably asillustrated, in mesh with a worm gear 5, which is adapted to be drivenby it. Rotative movement is imparted to the shaft through the medium ofbelt pulleys, gears, sprocket wheels, or any other power transmissiondevices. I preferably illustrate rotative movement transmitted to theshaft through the medium of a pair of sprocket wheels 6 and 6 Thesesprocket wheels are slidably mounted on the shaft between its wor1nportion and its journal boxes. and each sprocket wheel is provided withhub portions 7 and 8, on each side of it. The hub portion 7 of eachwheel, which faces the worm portion of the shaft, is provided with aclutch-member, which is formed on or attached to the end surface of eachhub. 1 preferably illustrate the ends of these hubs provided withsaw-tooth shaped clutch teeth 9, although square or other forms ofclutch engaging surfaces, such as friction clutch surfaces, may be usedif desired, and the opposite end portions of the central portion of theshaft, which is made of larger diameter than the shaft and is preferablymade of the same "diameter as the clutch hub-portions of the adjacentsprocket wheels, are provided with clutch-members, similar to thoseformed on the inner hubs 7 of the sprocket wheels. I illustratesaw-tooth clutch surfaces formed on the opposite end portions of theworm, arranged opposite to and to register with and lock to the sawtoothclutch teeth of the hubs of the sprocket wheels.

of the ends of these yokes.

r The opposite hub portions 8 of the sprocket wheels, contain a neckportion 10, in which acollar 11, is rotatably mounted. This collar isprovided with oppositely arranged trunnions 12, which are engaged byyoke levers 13, the center portions of which are provided with anextending arm portion 14, which extends from adjacent to the yokeportion at an angle toward the central portion of :the driving shaft.Each of these yoke arms is pivotally connected to a lug 15, or othersuitable bearing formed on the supporting standards 3 by pins 16. Theends ofithe yokes are provided with slots 17, into and through which thetrunnions 12 extend. The terminal end portions of the arms 14 are alsoprovided with yoke ends 17, which straddle piston rods 18 and 19, andthese yoke ends provided with slots 20, and the piston rods are providedwith pins 21, which extend from the opposite sides of these .piston rodsinto and through the slots These arms I term the clutch operating rockarms.

The piston rods are attached to and extend from piston heads 22 and 23,which are reciprocally mounted in a cylinder 24. This cylinder 24 issupported between the standards by any suitable means, preferably bysuitable cross bars 25, that extend between the standardsto which thecylinder is attached. This cylinder is provided with two cylindricalbores 26 and 27, in which the piston heads 22 and 23 are reciprocallymounted, and these cylinder bores are arranged in direct horizontalalinement, and are separated from each other by a partition 28. Acircular aperture is formed at the axial center of this partition, inwhich a pin 29 is slidably mounted, and this pin is held in its apertureagainst displacement therefrom by an integral head 30, at one end, and aremovable head 31 at its opposite end, which is secured to the pin byscrews,

as shown in Fig. 5, or in any other suitable manner. These heads fitalternately in corresponding recesses in the partition, so that at suchtimes they will be flush with the face of the partition. This in is madeenough longer than the thickness of the partition to permit it to bemoved by the piston heads in alternate order far enough to move theopposite piston a sufiicient distance to uncover its actuating fluidinlet port, as will be hereinafter described.

The cylinder is provided with a valve chest 32, which is provided with avalve seat 33, and a flat slide valve 34 is reciproca'lly seated on thevalve seat within the valvec'hest. This valve is moved by a lever '35,which is mounted on the squared end or" a pin 36, that is pivotallyjournaled in the top of the valve chest.

A crank arm 38 is formed integral with the lower end of the pin 36, theopposite end of the crank-aria extending into a recess 39, formed in thetop of the valve, and being pivotally secured to the valve by a pin 40.A slot 38 is provided in the crank-arm 38, to allow the reciprocalmovement of the end of the crankarm that is mounted on the pin 40, tooperatively move the valve throughout the length of its stroke in astraight line in the va ve chest, which reciprocal stroke of the valveand cranlcarm need not necessarily exceed half an inch. The lever 35extends from the pin 36 far enough to be moved by the hand of anoperator, or to be engaged by projecting pins on the worm gear or otherpower transmitting wheel, that is operated by reverse movements of thedriving shaft.

The valve is enough shorter than the length of the inside of the valvechest to control by its operative strokes two ports 41 and 42, which areformed at opposite ends of the valve chest, through the valve seat shellportion of the cylinder, and admit the actuating fluid from the valvechest into the outer ends of the two piston bores of the cylinder.

An actuating fluid inlet pipe 43 is threaded to the valve chest, and anexhaust aperture 44 is also formed in the valve chest, which registerswith an exhaust port 4-5, formed in the side of the valve. This exhaustport of the valve connects alternately with .the ports 41 and 42 of thevalve chest, at the ends of its opposite reciprocal movements. The twopiston bores of the cylinder are connected on opposite sides of theirdividing partition 28 by a port 46, which extends from each bore throughthe valve seat shell portion of the cylinder over the partition.

The entrances 47 and 48 of this port in the cylinders 26 and 27respectively, are positioned at a distance from the opposite sides ofthe partition sufficient to enable the piston heads, which arepreferably disk-shaped heads, to stand wholly within that part of eachcylinder between the entrances to this port and the partition when thepiston heads are against or almost against the partition. and the objectof this port is to allow the actuating fluid to pass from one cylinderto the other, and move the pistons on their outward strokes, as will bepresently explained, and in order to facilitate this outward movementadjacent to the partition, the peripheral edge portion of each piston isbeveled on both sides to allow the actuating fluid to flow readilybehind their sides when at the opposite ends of their strokes.

Sprocket chains 49 extend from the sprocket wheels to two independentsources of power, which are adapted to rotate the sprocket wheels inopposite directions. I do not illustrate these power connections, asthey do not form any part of my present invention.

While the valve operating lever 35, is adapted to be operated by thehand of an operator to reverse the position of the valve in the valvechest, it may also be moved automatically by pins 50, secured to theWorm gear or to a segment 49 as shown in Fig. 2, which can be arrangedto reverse the valve and consequently the direction of movement of thedriving shaft, and of the driven gear at each half revolution, or byusing one lever engaging pin the lever may be operated to move the valveat each complete revolution. I preferably use compressed air as anactuating fluid for driving the pistons, but steam may be used ifdesired.

The operation of my valve controlled re versing mechanism is as follows:The sprocket chains and their wheels are rotated in opposite directionsfrom a source of power, and a supply of compressed air is conveyedthrough the air inlet pipe to the valve chest when the operator graspsthe valve operating lever and moves the valve to one end of the valvechest, and assuming that the valve has been moved to uncover the port42, the compressed air enters the cylinder 27 and moves the piston head23 against the partition, and as it moves to the rear end of itscylinder, its piston rod through the medium of the pins 21 shifts itsclutch operating lever It with it, which causes this lever to move thesprocket wheel 6 along the driving shaft away from the clutch-member ofthe adjacent end of the worm, and consequently to uncouple it from theadjacent end of the worm, and when the piston approaches the rear end ofthe cylinder, it strikes the pin 29 and moves it through the partition28, and the pin moves the piston 22 away from the partition, as thepiston 28 moves against it. When the piston 23 engages the partition, ituncovers the end 48 of the port 46, and the piston 22 is pushed beyondthe end 47 of the said port, which allows the compressed air to flowthrough this port from the cylinder 27 into the cylinder 26 and behindthe piston 22, which has been moved away from the partition by the pinfar enough to uncover this portto admit air behind it. The air thenmoves the piston 22 to the front of its cylinder 26, and in doing so itspiston moves its clutch lever 14- to move its sprocket wheelclutch-member 7 into engagement with the adjacent clutch-member on theend of the worm, and as this sprocket wheel 6 is rotao ing in anopposite direction from the sprocket wheel 6, the direction of rotarymotion that was imparted to the worm by the sprocket wheel G isreversed, and the direction of rotary motion of the driven gear is alsoreversed.

The operator can allow the motion of the worn'rto continue in eitherdirection as long as he desires, and when he desires to again hind thepiston 22 and moves it to the rear' of its cylinder 26, where it engagesand moves the pin 29, which moves the piston 23 beyond the entrance 48of the port 46; the piston 22 at the same time uncovers the end 47 ofthe port 4-6, which permits the air to pass through port as and behindthe piston 23 and moves it to the front end of its cylinder, and indoing so its piston rod moves its clutch lever to throw its sprocketwheel clutch-member again in mesh with the adjacent clutch-member of theworm, again reversing the direction of movement of the pinion and of thedriven gear.

If desired to move the valve-automatically, the pins 50 are "arranged toengage the end of the lever 35, which is secured to the pivoted valveoperating crank 38, and move the valve to uncover the ports in alternateorder at each substantially half revolution of the driven gear, and ifone pin were used on the driven gear, the wheel would reverse its ownmotion at each complete revolution, by the contact of said pin,alternately, with the opposite sides of the lever 35.

My invention is particularly adapted to effect a reverse rotary movementof any desired predetermined duration of time, or a partial reciprocalrotative swinging or oscillating movement of a portion of the gear, andis especially adapted to the swinging reciprocal movement of thedrilling head of such a tunneling machine as is illustrated in my PatentNo. 891-173, dated twenty-third day of June, 1908, when used with asegment of a gear instead of a full gear, as illustrated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. A. reversing mechanism comprising a reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members adapted to alternatelyengage said driving shaft; and automatically controlled fluid operatedmeans for effecting said alternate engagement.

2. A reversing machanism comprising a reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members adapted to alternatelyengage said driving shaft; a cylinder in proximity to said drivingshaft; fluid-operated pistons in said cylinder; and operatingconnections between said pistons and said rotated clutclrbearingmembers.

3. A reversing mechanism comprising a reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members adapted to alternatelyengage said driving shaft; a multi-chamber cylinder in proximity to saiddriving shaft; fluid inlet and outlet ports between the pistons and saidrotated clutchbearing members.

4h A reversing mechanism comprising a reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; oppositely' rotated clutch-bearing members adapted to.alternately engage said driving shaft; a multi-chamber cylinder .inproximity .to said driving shaft; a fluid-operated piston ;in eachchamber; a fluid passage connecting .the chambers; .fluidinlet andexhaust passages .in'the chambers; a valve for controlling .the inflowand discharge of xfluid to and from the chambers, and so arranged thatwhen in one :position the pistons are moved successively to one end ofthe chamhers, and when in theotherposition the pistons are movedsuccessively to the opposite :end -:of the chambers; and operatingconnec- 'tions between the pistons and said rotatedj clutch-bearingmembers.

5. A reversing mechanism comprising at reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; ioppo-i sitely wrota-ted clutch-bearing members; adapted toalternately engage said drivingi shaft; a multi-chamber cylinder iniproxim-Z .ity to said driving shaft; a fluid-operated; reversiblepiston in each chamber; and means including a pivoted rock arm and apin-bearing collar loosely mounted on :the; driving shaft, adjacent tosaid rotatedl clutch-bearing members, for operatively con-1 necting thepistons and said rotated clutch-1 .bearing :members, to move the latterinto opj erative engagement with the driving shafti 6. In a reversingmechanism,.a two-cham- 'ber cylinder; fluid-operated successivelymovedpistons in the chambers; a fluid-:passage between adjacent sides of thechain-Q bers; .a sliding-pin between the chambers, and adapted to beengaged by the pistons in alternate order to .move the non-operatedpiston into operative relation to said ffiuidpassage; fluid-supply.ports in said chambers; .an exhaust port for the fluid; .and ai valvearranged to control the passage :of the? fluid, :to operate the pistonsas desired.

7. In a reversing mechanism, a cylinder: having a central partition;fluid-operated successivelyanoved pistons adapted to reciprocate in eachof the-chambers formed by said central partition; a fluid-passage be{tween the adjacent ends of the chambersg fluid-supply ,ports atopposite ends :of the chambers; .a sliding-pin mounted in saidpartition, between the chambers, and adapted .to be engaged by thepistons in alternate order, to move the non-operated piston =1nt0operative I'BlfllllOIl to said fluid-passage; an

exhaust port for the fluid; a sliding-valve for controlling the inflowand discharge of :fluid to and ifrom the chambers, and so :ar-.

ranged that when in one position the pistons .are moved successively toone end of the chambers, and when in another position the pistons aremoved successively to the other end of the chambers; and means foroperating said valve as desired.

8. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving shaft having an enlargedportion provided centrally with a worm, and at its ends withclutch-members; a shaft provided with a pinion meshing with said worm,and adapted to be reversibly rotated by said driving shaft;clutch-bearing members loosely mounted on the smaller extended portionsof the driving shaft, one on each side of the worm-bearing enlargedportion; means for rotating the loosely-mounted clutch-bearing membersin opposite directions; and means for effecting alternate engagement, asdesired, between the oppositely-driven clutch-bearing members, and theclutch-members of the worm-bearing portion of the driving shaft.

9. A reversing mechanism comprising a reversibly rotatable driving shafthaving an enlarged portion provided centrally with a worm and at itsends with clutch-members; oppositely rotated clutch-bearing membersloosely mounted on the smaller extended portions of the driving shaft,one on each side of the worm-bearing enlarged portion; pin-bearingcollars loosely mounted upon the smaller extended portions, adjacent tosaid oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members; supporting standards inwhich said driving shaft ,is journaled; a cylinder in proximity to saiddriving shaft; fluid-operated reciprocating pistons in the cylinder,said pistons having pin-bearing shafts; IOCkrSlliliftS pivoted inbrackets secured to the supporting standards, and provided with yokedportions having slots therein adapted toengage said pins, to movealternately st-he pin-bearing collars and hence the oppositely rotatedclutch-bearing members into engagement with the clutch-members of theenlarged portions of the driving shaft, upon alternate reciprocation ofsaid pistons.

10. A reversing mechanism comprising a reversibly rotatable drivingshaft; oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members adaptled to alternatelyengage said driving shaft; sliding pin-bearing members, adapted, whenmoved, to effect engagement between said rotatable driving shaft andsaid oppositely rotated clutch-bearing members; a cylinder in proximitytosaid driving shaft; reciproeating pistons in the cylinder, saidpistons having oppositelydisposed pin-bearing shafts; means forcontrolling the reciprocation of the pistons; and means including yokebearing rock shafts for 'operatively connecting theshafts of saidreciprocating pistons and said sliding pin-bearin mem- Lbers, tomove thelatter to effect the aforesaid engagement between said rotatable drivingshaft and said oppositely rotated clutchbearing members.

11. In a reversing mechanism, a reversibly rotatable driving shaft;oppositely rotated members adapted to alternately engage said drivingshaft; a cylinder in proximity to said driving shaft; a centralpartition in said cylinder; fluid-operated successivelymoved pistonsadapted to reciprocate in each of the chambers formed by said partition;a fluid-passage between the adjacent ends of the chambers; a sliding-pinmounted in said partition, between the chambers, and adapted to beengaged by the pistons in alternate order, to move the non-operatedpiston into operative relation to said fluidpassa e; fluid-supply portsin each chamber; an exhaust port for the fluid; a sliding-valve arrangedto uncover the fluid-supply ports of each chamber alternately, wherebythe corresponding piston is operated; and operating connections betweenthe pistons and said oppositely rotated members.

12. In a reversing mechanism, a cylinder having a central partition;fluid-operated successively-moved pistons adapted to reciprocate in eachof the chambers formed by said central partition; a fluid-passagebetween the adjacent ends of the chambers, with outlet openings at adistance from said central partition somewhat greater than the thicknessof the piston-heads; a sliding-pin mounted in said partition, betweenthe chambers, and adapted to be engaged by the pistons in alternateorder, to move the nonoperated piston into operative relation to saidfluid-passage; a valve-chest on said cylinder; fluid-inlet andexhaust-outlet apertures lead ing into and out of said valve-chest, and

from said valve-chest into the opposite end portions of the chambers; asliding-valve in said "alve-chest, for controlling the inflow anddischarge of fluid to and from the chambers, and so arranged that whenin one position the pistons are moved successively to one end of thechambers, and when in another position the pistons are movedsuccessively to the other end of the chambers; a crank-arm pivotallyconnected at one end to said valve, said crank-arm being provided at itsopposite end with a stem projecting through the casing of saidvalvechest; and means connected with said stem for moving the crank-arm,and thereby moving the sliding-valve to either of the aforesaidpositions.

13. A reversing mechanism comprising a driving shaft having an enlargedportion provided centrally with a worm, and at its ends withclutch-members; a shaft provided with a pinion meshing with said worm,and adapted to be reversibly rotated by said driving shaft, said pinionbearing projecting portions rotating therewith; oppositely rotatedclutch-bearing members adapted to alternately engage the clutch-membersof the worm-bearing portion of the driving shaft; valve-controlledfluid-operated means for effecting said alternate engagement; and meansincluding the rotating projecting portions on said pinion forautomatically operatingthe controlling valve of said fluid-operatedmeans.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. FOWLER.

Witnesses G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. FowLE.

